Air conditioning device



Aug. 14, 1934. J. J. sTRANG ET AL 1,969,853

. AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed sept. 5. 19:55

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TT NEY A Patented Aug. 14, 1934 AIR. QONDITIONING DEVICE John J. Strang and Emile P. Brun, Kansas City,

assignors to Strang Air Conditioning Corporatiglnl, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of I AApplication semmbeis, 1933, serai internauti` cum. (ci. sz-izs).

Our invention relates to an air conditioning device and more particularly a device adapted to reduce the temperature and humidity of the air in the room. The present application is an improvement` over and a continuation in part of our copending application, Serial No. 636,871, filed October 8, 1932.

v Air conditioning and the reduction of humidity in living room spaces is a problem at present m engaging the attention of engineers. Mechanical refrigeration and absorption refrigeration systems which have been developed for small ice boxes for use in the homes have been attempted to be used in air conditioning devices. Due to l5 the fact that a considerably greater amount of heat must be handled in air conditioning than in refrigerating a closed space, it has been necessary to use a fairly large refrigeration system.

This entails the use of a large quantity of water to provide cooling for the condensers. With circulating` water, not only is a large quantity of water consumed, which in many localities is costly, but it is necessary to provide piping or hose for the circulation of the water.

One object of our invention is to provide an .30 cooled condenser is used and the water is kept c ool by utilizing the latent heat of vaporization, thus eliminating the necessity of circulating water. V

Another object of our invention is to provide 35 an air conditioning device in which water for cooling the condenser is cooled by evaporating a portion of the water by means of an air stream and the refrigerant, after 4being compressed, is pre-cooled by heat exchange with air before it passes through the water cooled condenser.

Another object of our invention is to provide a means for insuring a continuous change of air in the room being conditioned.

Further and other objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

A In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an air conditioning unit embodying one form of carrying out our invention.

Figure 2 is a broken sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1. A

' thus pre-cooled by heat exchange with\ an air ing, any suitable cabinet 1, provided with sound Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation. In general, our invention contemplates a cabinet or vother suitable supporting means having any conventional refrigerating system of either the compression and expansion or the absorption type in which the refrigerating coil comprises the cooling means to cool the air in the spaces being conditioned. A blower is provided to blow a stream ofair over the cooling coil. The condenser of the refrigerating -system is immersed in a tank of water to cool the same. The water is cooled by evaporation. We blow a stream of air taken from a source independent and outside of the'space being conditioned over the water tank containing the condensing coil. The evaporation of the water of the tank will serve tokeep its temperature within the limits required for cooling purposes. We provide means for, increasing the surface of the water contacted by a mechanical agitator which will throw up a water spray and thus increase the surface area of the water exposed to the evaporating air stream. The moisture laden air, after it has performed the duty of evaporating a portion of the condenser water to cool the same, is discharged outside of the air space being conditioned. In the path of this air, we introduce a heat exchanger of any suitable design provided with an extended heat exchanging surface. The refrigerant, after being compressed, is led first through the heat exchanger interposed in the air stream and subjected to'heat exchange. In view of the fact that the refrigerant iluid is hottest as it leaves l the compressor, its temperature will be considrably above the temperature of the cooler moisture laden air leaving the unit. vAfter being sov insulation 2 in order to insure quiet operation, is divided into appropriate compartments as may be convenient. In the form shown in Figure 1, a partition 3 divides the cabinet 1 into two compartments as may readilybe seen by referencel vheat exchange with air.

to Figure 1. Within thea lower compartment, I mount by any suitable means, such as by angle bars 4, a tank 5 in which I position the condenser 6 of a mechanical refrigerating system. The condenser 6 is submerged in water 7 which is maintained in a tank 5 ata predetermined level. -In order to insure thatthe level of the water intank 5 be constant, we provide in the upper compartment or at any other suitable space, a water supply tank or tanks 8, fitted with removable covers 9 to admit of filling the tanks with water. 'Ihe tanks are interconnected. A pipe 10 leads to the water tank 5 and terminates in a valve 11 controlled by a oat 12 as can readily be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2; An air blower 14, driven in any suitable manner, as through belt 15 connected to pulley 16 of motor 17 takes suction from within the lower compartment 18 of the cabinet. Air from without the air space being conditioned, and preferably from outdoors, is admitted through duct 19 to compartment 18. The blower 14 discharges the air over the surface of the Water 7 within tank 5 as can readily be seen by reference to Figure 1. In order to increase the effective area of the water presented for evaporation by the air stream, we provide kan agitator. This may comprise a motor 20 driving an impeller 21 which projects just below the surface of the Water and is adapted to throw a continuous spray throughout the interior of tank 5. Air being discharged by blower 14 over the extended water surface thus presented evaporates -a portiton of the same, thus reducing the temperature of the water 7 Within the tank 5.

The moisture laden air is adapted to be discharged-through conduit 22 which leads outside of the air space being conditioned. In the path of the moisture laden air, we place a heat exchanger -23. The heat exchanger may be of any suitable construction but We prefer to make it of slightly increasing capacity in order to prevent a reduction of head pressure in event that the cooling air be of higher temperature than expected, as for example on a particularly warm day. The motor is adapted to drive a compressor 24 through a belt 25 or through suitable connection extending from motor pulley 26 to compressor pulley 27. The refrigerant gas is adapted to be compressed in compressor cylinder 28. The compressed refrigerant gas is discharged from compressor cylinder through line 29 which is connected to heat exchanger 23 as A can readily be seen by reference to Figure 1. The compressed refrigerant is finally cooled by Due to the fact that the air stream contains moisture, Vconsiderable heat will be absorbed from the compressed refrigerant due to the vaporization of the moisture contained in the air so that additional cooling is obtained not only by heat exchange with the air, per se, but also by the vvaporization of the moisture contained in the air, which moisture has been previously acquired through passing over the water within the vtank 5. The precooled, compressed refrigerant gas passes from heat exchanger 23 through line 30 where it passes to condenser 6 which is immersed in the condenser water 7 and positioned in .tank 5 as described above and as can readily be seen by reference to Figure 1. In passing through the condenser, the refrigerant gives up considerable heat to the condenser water. This heat is extracted from the condenser water by continuously vaporizing a portion thereof as pointed out above. The refrigerant gas, compressed and cooled, leaves condenser 6 through line 31,'passes through tank 32, through line 33, to expansion valve 34 and into the expansion coil 35 which is equipped with heat exchange fins 36 in a manner well known to the art. The expansion of the refrigerant gas in expansion coil 35 imparts a low temperature to the refrigerating or expansion coil 35.

Positioned behind the expansion coil we provide a fan 37 driven by a motor 38 for circulating the air in the room over the refrigerating coil 35. The refrigerant gas,` heated by obsorbing the heat from the air in the room, being' passed in heat exchange therewith, passes through line 39 to the compressor cylinder 28 for recycling. The circulating fan 37 and the refrigerating coil 35 are positioned in upper compartmentv 40 of the cabinet 1. Beneath the refrigerating coil we provide a pan 41 adapted to receive moisture precipitated from the air in the space being conditioned, due to its being chilled below its dew point. The precipitated water is adapted to be passed to the water within tank 'through line 42 as can readily be seen by 100 reference to Figure 2. We provide an opening 43 controlled by a movable closure 44 at a suitable place in compartment 18. A portion of the air in the room is adapted to be drawn into the compartment 18 by the suction of blower 14. In this manner, the air in the space being conditioned will be continuously but gradually replaced, insuring a continuous supply of fresh air to the space being conditioned.

It is believed that the operation of our device Will be clear from the foregoing description. The entire device is self-contained and is mounted on rollers or casters 45 for positioning in any suitable place within the space being conditioned. 1 It 'will be appreciated we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided a portable air conditioning device containing a mechanical refrigerating system and havev dispensed with the necessity of connecting the con- 1 denser to a circulating water supply, while retaining the benefits .of the water cooled condenser. Heat taken fromr the room is discharged outside'the air space being conditioned, over a pre-cooling device, making for additional ei- 125 ciency and economy.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and 1 is within the scope of our claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It

is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described 'our invention, what we claim is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus including in combination a refrigeration system employing a normally gaseous refrigerant fiuid having a refrigerant fluid precooler, a refrigerant fluid condenser and a refrigeration coil, said condenser being immersed in liquid,.means for circulating the air to be conditioned over said refrigerating coil, means for passing a separate air stream in contact with the liquid surrounding the condenser and over said pre-coole!` whereby the refrigerant uuid of the refrigeral 15 tion system is cooled by heat exchange with both liquid and air.

2. An air conditioning device including in combination a refrigerating system having condensing means, a tank containing liquid, said condensing means having a portion thereof immersed in the liquid, means for passing an air stream over the surface of the liquid in said tank to evaporate a portion of the same to cool it, another portion of said condensing means being disposed in the path of said air stream, means for increasing the effective surface of the liquid in said tank exposed to said air stream, a refrigerating coil and means for passing a separate air stream over said refrigerating coil.

3. An air conditioning device as in claim` 1 including in combination a water reservoir, a

.duct connecting said reservoir with said liquid including means for introducing water precipitated from the air being conditioned into said liquid.

5. An air conditioning device as in claim 1 including means for bleeding air from the air to be lconditioned into said second separate air stream.

JOHN J. STRANG. EMILE P. BRUS. 

